Data Analyst, Principal

Dayforce; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Dayforce is seeking a Principal Data Analyst to turn data into strategic insight and build modern decision products. You will own AI-enabled analytics, semantic models, and Power BI experiences, partnering with senior leaders to drive data-driven decisions across the enterprise.

The role requires strong SQL, Python, API skills, and hands-on experience delivering AI/LLM solutions. Collaboration across functions and governance of data quality are key components of the role.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related analytical field; Master’s preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in data analytics, BI, analytical engineering, data science, or related technical roles.
• Strong SQL, data modeling, and analytical engineering skills; hands-on Power BI experience.
• Hands-on Python and API skills; experience with Git, JSON, notebooks; modern development workflows.

Responsibilities

• Translate ambiguous business questions into analytical solutions that surface insights and actions for executive strategy.
• Design and build analytical products from semantic models and Power BI to AI-powered applications.
• Prototype, productionize AI-enabled analytical apps using enterprise data, LLMs, and APIs.
• Collaborate with leaders to define metrics and connect analytics/AI to business outcomes.
• Build and maintain reliable data models, definitions, and governance practices.

Skills

SQL

Power BI

Python

APIs

AI/LLM

Data modeling

Semantic modeling

DAX

Analytics storytelling

Education

Bachelor's degree in Statistics/Math/Data Science/CS

Master's degree preferred

Tools

Git

JSON

Notebooks

Job description

About the opportunity

As a Principal Data Analyst, you are a highly analytical, technically strong, forward-thinking problem solver who thrives on turning data into strategic insight and building modern decision products. You will play a pivotal role within the Decision Intelligence team, combining deep analytical expertise with hands-on technical skills to solve complex business problems using enterprise data, business intelligence, artificial intelligence (AI), and automation.

This is a hands-on technical role with significant visibility across the organization. You will work directly with senior leaders and cross-functional stakeholders while personally designing and building analytical solutions - ranging from enterprise semantic models and Power BI experiences to AI-powered applications and agents. Your work will directly influence strategic decisions and help evolve how the enterprise consumes data, insights, and AI.

What you'll get to do

• Promote Data-Driven Decision-Making: Translate ambiguous business questions into analytical solutions that go beyond stated needs - proactively surfacing insights, root causes, opportunities, and recommended actions that guide executive strategy and operational excellence.
• Build Modern Decision Products: Personally design and build analytical products ranging from scalable semantic models and advanced Power BI experiences to AI-powered analytical applications and agents. Select the appropriate interface and technology based on the business problem rather than defaulting to traditional dashboards.
• Build AI-Powered Analytical Solutions: Design, prototype, build, and help productionize AI-enabled analytical applications and agents that combine enterprise data, semantic context, large language models (LLMs), APIs, and tools to answer business questions, generate insights, and automate analytical workflows.
• Collaborate Across the Business: Partner with leaders in designated departments and other domains to define key metrics, interpret performance results, understand business context, and connect analytics and AI solutions to financial, operational, customer, and growth objectives.
• Engineer Trusted Analytical Foundations: Build and maintain reliable data models, metric definitions, semantic models, and analytical logic. Troubleshoot data gaps and partner with data engineering and governance teams to strengthen data quality, lineage, consistency, and trust.
• Apply Practical AI and Automation: Identify high-value opportunities for AI and automation, then move beyond ideation to working solutions. Apply techniques such as tool/function calling, structured outputs, retrieval and grounding, context engineering, and agentic workflows where they provide measurable business value.
• Evaluate for Accuracy and Reliability: Develop practical approaches to test and monitor AI-enabled analytical solutions, including grounding, hallucination and accuracy testing, regression testing, observability, and human review. Understand when deterministic analytics, traditional machine learning, or an LLM-based approach is most appropriate.
• Communicate with Confidence: Synthesize complex analyses and technical solutions into clear, compelling narratives and present actionable insights, tradeoffs, and recommendations to senior leadership.

Skills and experience we value

• Bachelor's degree in Statistics, Mathematics, Data Science, Computer Science, Economics, Business Analytics, or a related analytical field; Master's degree preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in data analytics, business intelligence, analytical engineering, data science, decision science, or related technical roles, preferably in an enterprise SaaS, technology, consulting, or complex business environment.
• Strong SQL, data modeling, and analytical engineering skills, with hands-on experience building enterprise analytics solutions using platforms such as Power BI. Candidates should be comfortable working directly in Power BI when needed, including semantic models, DAX, performance optimization, advanced dashboards, and executive-facing analytical products.
• Strong hands-on Python skills and comfort working with APIs, Git, JSON, testing and debugging, notebooks, and modern development workflows used to build analytical and AI-enabled solutions.
• Demonstrated hands-on experience building AI/LLM applications beyond the use of AI productivity tools or commercial chat applications. Experience should include several of the following: agentic workflows, tool/function calling, structured outputs, retrieval/RAG, context engineering, prompt design, API integration, and evaluation frameworks.
• Demonstrated track record of personally designing and building AI-enabled analytical products or agentic systems from prototype toward production. Candidates should be prepared to discuss architecture, implementation decisions, evaluation methods, failures, tradeoffs, and lessons learned from systems they personally built.
• Strong understanding of semantic modeling, metric design, KPI frameworks, business definitions, data quality, lineage, and governance practices needed to provide trusted context to both enterprise reporting and AI-enabled analytical experiences.
• Demonstrated ability to translate ambiguous business questions into structured analytical and technical approaches, identify root causes, quantify business impact, and determine when a problem is best solved with SQL or deterministic software, traditional analytics or machine learning, a BI experience, or an LLM/agentic solution.
• Experience evaluating AI systems for accuracy, grounding, reliability, and business usefulness, including approaches such as test datasets, hallucination testing, regression testing, observability, human review, and appropriate controls for enterprise use.
• Proven experience leading complex analytical or AI initiatives from concept through implementation with minimal oversight, including requirements definition, stakeholder alignment, hands-on development, testing, delivery, adoption, and ongoing optimization.
• Experience partnering with senior leaders and cross-functional stakeholders to define success metrics, interpret performance trends, and connect analytical and AI solutions to financial, operational, customer and growth outcomes.
• Exceptional communication, analytical reasoning, and business acumen, with the ability to synthesize complex data and technical concepts into clear narratives, evaluate tradeoffs, prioritize work based on business value, and influence decisions at senior levels.
• High degree of intellectual curiosity, ownership, technical judgment, and attention to detail. We value demonstrated building experience over theoretical familiarity; candidates should be prepared to discuss systems they personally designed and implemented. Experience working in the Human Capital Management industry is preferred.